One Step Through the Anomaly
by pinkcat4569
Summary: With one step, Dr Sara Paige walks back into the ARC and the lives of the team.  How'd she get here, and more importantly, how will they send her back.  Should they, knowing she will die?
1. Chapter 1

One Step Through The Anomaly (When Jess Met Sara)

By Pinkcat4569

Major Spoilers for Season 5

Rating: T for language, adult situations

Disclaimer: I don't own Primeval or the characters

Description: With one step, Dr Sara Paige walks back into the ARC and the lives of the team. How'd she get here, and more importantly, how will they send her back. Should they, knowing she will die?

Author's Note: I started this ages ago. I don't do science very well, and the time line stuff drives me crazy. This probably has all kinds of errors in terms of science, probability and logic. It's huge—over 10,000 words, so I was thinking five chapters of 2,000words. I may change that. So, if you're brave, patient, and have time to kill, here it is.

Update: This chapter has been edited for spelling and other errors.

Chapter One

"Hurry, please," said Jess, scared but not frantic. She stared at the anomaly shining less than ten feet from her, inside the hub at the ARC.

"Jess, has anything come through?" asked Matt.

"No," said Jess.

"You've got your emergency EMD, right?" came Becker's voice.

"Yes, but I really wish you were here. Wait, something's coming through," she whispered in terror.

"Stay calm," said Abby.

"We're almost there," said Matt.

"Jess, get back as far as you can, and keep you EMD trained on it.," said Becker. "I promise we'll get there, and you're going to be OK."

Jess was alone, facing God knows what, but just hearing Becker reassured her.

Then the anomaly flickered, and a person stepped, a little shakily, through.

She was beautiful, tall, light brown skin of an Asian or Indian nationality, and long, straight, shiny black hair. She wore a pant suit in a neutral tan color with a wine blouse. The only accessory was a watch, and she wore sensible, flat shoes.

Jess knew who she was the instant she stepped through the anomaly. Jess had been fascinated with her from the moment she read the case files. Then there was the affect her _death_ had on Captain Becker. Yes, the woman standing in front of Jess, looking over the ARC in confusion and awe was dead.

"Jess, what came through?" demanded Becker. "Jess are you alright, answer me?"

"I'm fine," said Jess simply.

"What came through?" asked Becker.

"I'll explain when you get here."

"What? What do you mean you'll explain ...Jess, for God's sakes, what came..."

"Becker, for God's sakes will you just get here! Jess out." Jess flipped the control that cut the link to Becker, something she never did. She looked up to see her guest looking at her with a smile.

"That's the best way to deal with him, I've found," said the woman.

Jess grinned but felt a bit of jealousy and resentment. She didn't need anyone's advice on dealing with Becker.

"Jess!" yelled Becker, practically hurling through the barely open lift doors. "Where's the incursion?" asked Becker, clearly not in a good mood.

"There isn't exactly an incursion," said Jess calmly.

"What do mean 'isn't exactly,' Jess?" asked Becker, "When I ask you for information, you give it to me, and none of this 'wait till you get here' nonsense! Now, what in the hell is going on?"

"If you'd stop barking for a second, I would tell you," said Jess, putting her hands on her hips.

Becker heard a laugh. He turned to look behind them all, and there stood a mirage, or a vision, or a ghost. Take your pick, thought Becker, because there was no way she was real.

"Still barking orders, not listening to calm, rational speech?" asked Dr. Sara Page.

Abby and Connor came over to stand at Becker's side, all three staring in complete disbelief.

"Sara?" Becker finally whispered.

Jess said quickly, "She's the only thing that came through. Now do you see why I couldn't just blurt it out?"

"I'm going to guess that I'm in the future," said Sara, "And I know, we must preserve the timeline. I remember how obsessive Professor Cutter was about that. So no questions about the future, I promise. Um, I guess you're keeping present me away?"

Becker, Abby, and Connor all glanced at each other. Only Jess, who'd never met Sara, kept a cool head.

She marched briskly over to Sara, and shook her hand. "That's right. It's a very delicate situation. We have to be careful with what we say. So, I'm just going to introduce myself as Jess. It's nice to meet you."

"Sara. Nice to meet you, Jess," she said with a lovely smile, then eyeing Jess turquoise, straight mini skirt and soft yellow shirt, she added," I love your outfit!"

"Thank you! That's sweet of you to say," said Jess beaming at her co-workers, still stunned like statues.

Abby recovered first. "Hi! So where, I mean, when are you from? You know us, right?"

"Yeah, we've been working together for months. We just lost Professor Cutter a few weeks ago. Um, the last mission was the knight and the dracorex."

"Oh, yeah, that was a lot of fun," said Connor brightly. He moved over to join the girls.

"What's wrong Becker?" asked Sara.

Becker just stared. He was losing it. How could he pretend that nothing had happened?

"And where's Danny?" she asked.

With that Becker nearly burst into tears, but Jess once again took the lead, "Becker's been under a lot of strain lately. Danny Quinn is...on a mission, away from the ARC."

"Top secret," added Becker, regaining control. He smirked as he said, "I don't believe you have clearance."

Sara laughed. "There's the irritating, arrogant captain we all know and love. How far into the future are we anyway, I mean look at this place."

"Sara..." said Becker with a scowl, "No fair digging."

She smiled. "I know. I'm sorry, but I just can't help it. I'm an archeologist. We dig." Becker smiled at her. For the first time Sara truly noticed the ADD. "Wow! Connor, I thought the current, well, for me current, ADD was something. You've truly outdone yourself."

"Actually," said Connor. "This was done while I was...away on a mission."

"Really," said Sara. "It's amazing. You must love monitoring this."

"That's Jess' job now," he said, trailing off as he saw Becker's face. "I probably shouldn't say anything more. Too many spoilers."

Sara had walked up to the ADD for a closer look and Jess followed her while everyone else clued in Matt and Lester.

Jess politely showed Sara some of the features. "I don't think knowing how many screens we now have will change the timeline much," she said with a laugh.

"You keep track of the team? Good idea. We could have used some one watching us on a few occasions," said Sara. She looked at Jess again. "I'm impressed," she said.

Jess smiled. "Thank you," she said. The two continued to chat and trade small talk while across Ops, the others whispered.

"How did she get here? There were no anomalies that linked past and future ARCs. We'd remember," said Lester.

"Not necessarily," said Matt. "Not if she went through and didn't tell you."

"Why would she have done that?" asked Becker.

"Don't know mate, I never met the lady."

"Could be a more disturbing possibility," said Connor. "Time's already changed, for us anyway."

"Like when Cutter came through and we had no memory of Claudia," said Abby.

"Yikes," said Becker.

"Yikes indeed," said Lester, thinking and remembering. "Ok, damage control. Matt, you and Jess are to have the most contact with her. The rest of us can't risk divulging something she isn't supposed to know." said Lester.

"Like she's dead," said Becker grimly.

"You never go into the field?" asked Sara.

"Well," said Jess, like she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't. "I did once. It was a little harrowing, a bomb was involved. Actually, I'm fine right here. Plus Becker won't let me back out."

"Why? You're obviously very intelligent and capable."

Jess flashed her winning simile. "Oh, I like you," she said with a chuckle. "It's kind of a long story, but we were both nearly blown up, and Becker feels like it's his fault because he could do nothing but instruct me how to defuse the bomb. Which I did."

Sara's mouth popped open. "You're incredible," said Sara, making Jess blush. "Becker takes his job very seriously. I can understand him wanting to protect you."

Jess looked at Sara. She obviously knew Becker well. There was so much she wanted to ask Sara, and tell her, but she couldn't. Time was too fragile.

There was one nagging question that Jess just couldn't push away. It involved Becker, and his feelings for Sara.

"Um, Can I...I mean, I don't want to pry, but I was just...are you and B..."

"Dr. Page," said Lester strolling in. "How nice. Just dabbling in the time stream, are we?"

Sara smiled and shook her head. She had noticed something about Lester. He seemed...affected? Her presence seemed to unsettle him. It was almost emotional at times. Come to think of it, the whole team seemed affected, especially Becker. She wondered why.

Sure, it would be weird to have another Sara appear, but they were more than weirded out. They were completely shocked.

"How did you get here?" asked Becker.

"Don't be so thick. I came through the anomaly," she said smirking, getting one in return from Becker.

"We know that," said Matt. "We mean where was the anomaly, and why did you go through?" When Sara stared at him, he added apologetically, "Oh, sorry. Matt Anderson, how do you do?" and shook Sara's hand.

"How do you do," she said politely. "You're..."

"Research and arms development," Matt said quickly. "Team needed more firepower," he said winking at Becker.

Sara watched the playful tension between the two of them. "_More_ firepower?"

"Different, actually," said Matt, "non-lethal but effective, right Becker?" He smirked strongly.

"Non-lethal? Really? Wow, lots of changes. How far in the future am I?" She asked before she could stop herself, knowing no one could answer. "Sorry. I'm just amazed."

"I realize this in difficult for you," said Lester, turning quickly to Connor, "Why can't she just go right back through? We know she does."

"She has to," agreed Becker, "for time to continue correctly."

"Ah, the anomaly is...unstable," he said, pointing to the flashing and slightly fading anomaly. "I'm not sure it's safe."

"So she stays," said Jess happily. She beamed as she walked to Sara. "At least for a bit." Jess threaded her arm through Sara's. She said, "Come on Sara, let's have a cuppa tea."

"Jess, no pumping for information...on anyone," called Becker after them.

Jess giggled. "Scared, Captain?" She called back. Sara smiled backwards at him as they walked away.

A few minutes later, the ladies were seated in the canteen. "So, Jess," said Sara, nibbling on a biscuit, "you and Captain Becker?"

Jess nearly choked on her tea. "H...how do you mean?" she asked innocently.

Sara smiled. "Well..." she begun, twirling her spoon in her tea, "you seem very...close."

"I was thinking the same about the two of you."

"Me and Becker? No. He drives me crazy, all guns and regulations. The two of you, however..."

Jess smiled, suddenly feeling calm, calmer than she had since Sara appeared. "We're just friends," she said gently, sipping her tea.

Sara smiled. "For now," she said, also sipping tea. Jess and she exchanged smiles.

"Ok, you two have been left alone long enough," said Becker walking briskly in. "Behaving yourselves?"

Both ladies smiled. "Of course," they said innocently and in unison.

Becker shivered. "A chill just went up my spine." Jess giggled. Sara just stared at him with a slight smirk.

Lester strolled in that moment. "Miss Parker, were you planning on doing any work today or should I have the mammoth run the ADD?"

Sara chuckled as Jess rolled her eyes. "I'm going right now," Jess said, standing up. She pointed a finger at her boss. "Don't let that ancient elephant anywhere near my ADD." She smiled at Sara and exchanged amused glances with Becker. Then she walked confidently out of the canteen, her heels clicking in the distance.

"Employment standards at the ARC have gone up, I see," said Sara. Becker smiled, stealing Jess' seat, and her tea, Sara noticed. "I like her."

"She's very likable," said Becker. Sara studied him intently.

Finally he said, "What?"

Sara smiled brightly, "Nothing."

End of 1st chapter


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"All right," said Lester, joining them at the table. "We need to discuss what happened right before the anomaly showed up, play by play."

Sara sighed. "We had just transported the dracorex back to the ARC. Becker," said Sara looking at him, "kept pestering me about how I knew so much about the knight's life."

"I never did buy 'research' it was too intimate, what you knew."

Sara smiled, "I never should have pretended you were a dumb soldier. Ok, yes, I went throught the anomaly to medieval times. I had to figure out what was going on with the knight. It proved useful, didn't it?"

"Indeed," said Lester. "We may not have gotten him to go back willingly without your persuasion."

"It was a damn foolhardy thing to do," said Becker, seeing the surprise in Sara's eyes. They had bickered and debated things constantly, but Becker knew he was harsher, colder now, and he knew that Sara had just seen it.

"When did the anomaly to here show up?" asked Lester.

Sara was looking questioningly at Becker. "Hmmm? Oh, right after we returned to the Arc. I was doing work on the artifact when I saw something shining out of the corner of my eye. I looked up, and was surprised to find that I was alone in the lab and control room with an anomaly."

"You never told me," said Becker, accusingly.

"I...I don't know what to say, Becker. I haven't been back yet to tell you anything?"

"So, maybe time changes once you go back through?" thought Lester. "Hell, I don't know. This sci-fi mumbo jumbo is Connor's specialty," he said, standing up and yelling, "Connor!" He walked out of the room, yellling for Connor.

"Are you alright?" asked Sara.

Becker sat there. He was brooding, quiet, and it looked like he was angry.

Becker," said Sara gently, stretching across the table to touch his hand. "You've changed, haven't you? What happened?"

Becker felt tears welling up, and shook them away. He cleared his throat, and focused. Sara was intently looking at him.

"This job happened," he said quietly. "Too much destruction, too much death. Innocents die, Sara. We try and we try, and we always lose someone. I know I can't save everyone," he suddenly gave a sad smile.

"Jess reminds me of that, a lot. She tells me we do make a difference, we do save lives, but...the fact is that we often get there too late. I've seen people die, torn to...bits. It...changes you."

Sara sat quietly. "I'm sorry. It sounds horrible. I remember the day at the museum, when my life changed. We lost a friend of mine, but you did save a life. You saved mine."

Becker looked at her, but he seemed even more sad.

Sara changed the subject slightly, "So Jess helps you through?"

Becker smiled widely at the field cooordinator's name. "Yes, she pulls me through."

"She seems quite special."

"She's brilliant, Sara. Truly brilliant."

Sara sat quietly for a moment. Then a mischievous smile broke across. "So, you and Jess..."

Becker rolled his eyes. "We're just friends, Sara," he said, sounding a little frustrated.

"You two get asked that a lot, don't you?" said Sara, smiling.

"Hush," said Becker.

Sara's smile grew larger.

Jess sat at the ADD, occasionally glancing toward the twitching anomaly to her left. Becker had placed guards on it, so she was safe, but it made her nervous any way.

"Why is it still open?" she asked Private Perkins, one the guards.

"We can't get a lock on it to close it ma'am."

"Don't worry, Miss Parker," said Corporal Mack, "We've got you covered."

She smiled at them both. "I know, thank you." Both guards nodded.

"Making small talk with my men again, Jessica," said Becker, as he and Sara entered. He bent down so his face was beside hers. "I've asked you not to do that. You'll distract them," he said with a slight grin.

"I didn't realize that it was so easy to distract men so well-trained and disciplined," she said, teasingly.

Becker smirked. "You have no idea," he whispered. Jess blushed. Becker leaned up to see, to their credit, his men alert and focused on the anomaly.

Sara, however, was smirking at the Captain, glancing at Jess, and mouthing "just friends."

Becker gave her a glare that said, 'stow it,' but that just made Sara smile widely. She walked up to Jess, still smiling.

"How are you?" she asked.

Jess smiled friendly. "Doing well, swamped, but doing well."

Sara looked at Jess' screens. She had a weather report up for the entire country, traffic reports, she monitored radio and police scanner chatter, and was hacked into several cities' CCTV. Sara was overwhelmed just looking at it.

"How do you sort through so much information at once?" asked Sara incredulously.

"Oh, you get used it it. It helps to be able to compartmentalize and prioritze," said Jess.

"It helps to have a chip in your brain," quipped Becker, to which Jess smiled, "Or maybe she just has a computer in there."

Jess giggled. "Isn't there a movie, 'the computer wore tennis shoes?" she asked.

Becked played along, "Or in this case the computer wore ridiculously high heels."

She giggled and he smirked.

Sara, watching them said, "You're never going to stop being the center of gossip if you don't stop flirting with each other."

Becker coughed. Jess blushed.

"We're not flirting," said Jess.

"I do not flirt...on the job," said Becker pompously.

Sara laughed.

"It's his fault," said Jess.

"Mine?"

"If you hadn't teased me about talking to your men," retorted Jess.

"If you hadn't talked to them."

"I was just thanking them for watching the anomaly, that's all."

"They don't need thanking, it's their job."

"Oh," said Jess. "Then I guess it's your job to order them to protect me."

"Yes, it is."

"Then I don't have to thank you," she said, looking at him, a hint of a smile on her lips.

He smiled back. "No, no thanks needed."

"Good," she said, smiling out of the corner of her eyes.

"Good grief!" cried Sara. "You two couldn't be more obvious if Jess had 'totally into soldier boy' printed on her back along with 'hot for the field coordinator' on Becker's."

Jess and Becker look aghast, and they both flushed. The guards tried to hide snickers but Mack began coughing, and Perkins held his breath, turning red, and staring at the ceiling.

Becker made a move toward them in fury, but Sara intercepted. "My fault," she said, holding her hands in front, as if to push him back. "Not their's. Don't kill them. The anomaly is acting weird, and Jess could be in danger, right?"

"Right," said Becker, calming. "I need them...for the moment."

Becker turned, "I'll be in the armory," he said leaving quickly.

Jess acknowledged, professionally, while Sara turned to the guards and sighed in relief. They acknowled with simple, blank nods.

Sara sighed. "I have no place to go," she said suddenly. Jess looked up. "I don't have a lab, or a locker. Do I even have my flat in this time?"

Jess widened her eyes and turned to the ADD. She then recovered and said, "We have emergency quarters here, I thought Lester assigned you one. I know he did."

"It's an empty, strange room," said Sara. She pulled up a chair and sat beside Jess. "Where am I? The future or I guess it would be the present me." She groaned and held her head.

Jess looked at her in shock. "I can't..."

"I know, but I've been here all day, and it's getting late. It'll be night soon, and then tomorrow, and then who knows how many days after that," Sara said, with a glance at the misbehaving anomaly. "How long am I stuck here? I don't even know where here is, London? Britian still? And I have know idea what year it is. Jess, I'm lost."

Jess looked at her sympathetically. She had no idea what Sara was going through, but her heart felt for her pain. If she knew the truth... Sara had no flat, no life. In this time Sara Page was lying in a cemetary plot.

"I'm so sorry," Jess said, taking her hand, "but you met Professor Cutter, right? He knew better than anyone how time and people could be altered. I wasn't there, Sara. How affected was he?"

"Horribly. He was obsessed with protecting the timeline. He used to say that one litte step could change the course of time." Sara sighed deeply. Then she looked at the younger, innocent-looking, brightly clad woman. "No wonder Becker turns to you. You're very good at setting prospective."

Jess smiled sadly. "I haven't gone through anything like you all have."

"Really? I've never disarmed a bomb. Becker mentioned your allergy to insects. I hate them, but at least if I get bitten, I won't die. He told me how you were all trapped in lockdown, and that you knew you'd die without adrenaline. He wanted to break lockdown and you told him not to try. You told him to protect the city." Jess was quiet. "I also heard something about you shooting a beetle mid-hallucination."

"Someone talks too much," said Jess.

"Someone cares an awful lot about you," said Sara. "I'm not being cute, or teasing you. It's just a simple observation. Becker cares. He cares about you. He smiles when your name is mentioned or when you appear. He breaks his own rules when you're in danger. You're obviously special to him."

Jess sat still, staring at the ground. "He's special," she said softly. "It would be easy to dismiss him as a pretty, gun-crazy, testosterone-fueled, soldier only obeying orders. To do so would be missing his intelligence, his tender heart, his excellent judment, and his sheer desire to help. He is truly amazing."

Sara smiled, and took Jess' hand, "I'm glad he has you. I won't worry about him, knowing he has you to pull him out of the dark."

"I try."

"Jess, I am sorry. I need to know. Where am I? Do I have someone?"

Jess couldn't stop a tear falling. "I'm sorry, too. I can't tell you. Please, don't ask again. I won't tell." She smiled weakly, and turned her attention to the ADD.

Something in Jess' face, and the fact that she had cried, made Sara uneasy. She didn't have a good feeling about the truth of her where abouts. What if she was hurt, in a coma, missing, or...dead?

Sara was convinced of one thing: in this timeline, Dr. Sara Page was not in a good place.

"What do you mean we've been hacked?" asked Lester, his voice rising. "You can't get hacked. You are hack-proof."

"That's sweet, Lester, but no one is hack-proof," said Jess. "I do appreciate the compliment, though. It wasn't exactly hacking, however, more like using an approved identity to gain information. So, it was more like stealing, though the information isn't missing."

Becker and Matt snickered. Lester ran his hand along his forehead. "I have a headache."

Matt chuckled. "It was old personnel files, Lester. Nothing that top-secret."

"I'm sorry, any level of top-secret should be hack-proof or steal-proof, whatever! What did they get?"

"They didn't get anything, really. 'They' appear to be Abby, though we know it wasn't her, but her id was used to open the file. Nothing was stolen or copied. A personnel report was read. There has been no activity since," reported Jess.

"Which personnel file?" asked Lester.

"Guess," said Becker.

"Oh, we're in nursery school now, are we? What do you mean gu...Dr. Page?"

"Yep," said Matt. "I guess the suspense of her future was just too much."

"She's lost Matt," said Jess. "She's stuck here in the ARC with nothing to do, not knowing when she can leave. She was only looking for answers."

"Those answers are dangerous, Jess."

"I know that, Becker. I'm only saying it must be hard."

"It is," said Matt. He understood.

"Go on talk to her," said Lester, "all of you. Try to be gentle."

End of 2nd chapter


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Sara sat in the drab, empty quarters assigned to her. She had borrowed a laptop earlier, though the tech who gave it to her didn't know she was going to use Abby's id to read about her life-the life she had yet to live.

She was in shock. She didn't know what to do, or even what to feel, really. According to the screen lying on the bed next to her, she was dead. Abby, Connor, and Danny had disappeared through an anomaly, and she had gone on a rescue mission.

She did not return alive. It felt strange and creepy to read about her own life like it had already happened. It had, for everyone but her.

Where was Danny? There was nothing listed about him after he and Abby and Connor went through the anomaly. Was he still lost? She didn't know how Abby and Connor had gotten back, or why they were here and Danny wasn't. Maybe he had returned with them, and been killed. It was too much to try to grasp. She was shaking.

'Dead. I'm dead,' she thought. 'I have no future. I have nothing...what was the point of my life? What is the point of sitting here, of being here now. And going back? Going back just so I could die.'

There was a knock on the door. After several minutes, with no reply, Sara saw the door slowly open, and Jess stuck her head in. Then Becker and the new guy, Matt entered with her.

"So, I guess you know that I read my file," said Sara. "Were you ever going to tell me? Or were you going to let me go back clueless that I was returning to die?"

"I'm sorry Sara," Jess said.

"I trusted you, Becker," said Sara.

"I know. I'm sorry, Sara, so sorry." Becker was fighting tears. "I swear to God I tried, I tried to get to you, but there were so many and I just couldn't..."

"Wait, are you talking about...no, Becker, that's not what I meant. I'm sure you did your best, that you would have...saved me if you could," Sara was having difficulty finding words, it was strange, and she was heartbroken that Becker felt so guity. "I meant, that I trusted you to tell me what was going on. I guess though...it's not easy to tell someone they're dead."

Sara looked at Becker. For the first time she could she the hurt in his eyes, the overwhelming guilt. "It was my death, wasn't it, that...changed you, made you...darker, sadder."

Becker didn't say anything. He reached up and wiped his eyes quickly. Sara saw Jess slip her hand into his.

"I quit," said Becker. Sara's eyes grew. "After...I quit. I had failed you, and the others, so I handed in my resignation."

Sara was stunned. Becker was not someone who gave up. "You...quit? How could you blame yourself? Didn't the anomalies and creatures hold any blame?"

Jess made a small noise, like a cross between a snicker and a giggle. Becker glanced at her, and made a weak, sad grin.

"Apparently, not," said Becker. Jess smiled.

Sara was confused, angry, and scared. "You're here now. So are Abby and Connor. How? Is Danny dead or lost?"

Matt shot Becker a look, but Sara replied to it, "You might as well tell me. I mean, as far as what I'll learn about my timeline, what's more relevant than my own death?"

Becker looked again at Matt, and Matt nodded. "We've seen Danny," began Becker. "He's OK, it's extremely complicated, but the short version is that he survived being trapped in the past by jumping anomalies."

Sara gasped.

"It also seems that Danny's brother was also lost through an anomaly, and he encountered us," Becker said.

Jess snickered, and when Sara looked at her for explanation Jess said, "The bomb? It was Danny's brother who left it."

"He's a physcopath," said Matt.

Sara shook her head, trying to take it in. Becker sat next to her, and took her hand. "I know, it's a lot, and its...crazy. Here's the important things: Danny's alive looking for his brother through time, his own choice."

Sara nodded, not comprehending everything, but grasping small pieces, "Danny's...OK?"

Becker nodded. "Abby and Connor found a way back. The ARC is still here dealing with the anomalies and their consequences."

"And you came back-to the ARC?"

Becker nodded grimly.

"Why?"

"The ARC was restarting, Lester was coming back as leader, and he believed Abby, Connor and Danny were alive. I couldn't abandon them. I also couldn't stand the thought of something like that happening again, while I tried to live away from it all."

Jess smiled proudly at the Captain. "So he came back," she said.

Sara smiled at Jess and Becker, still holding hands. No wonder she was so important to him. She made him smile, laugh, and feel...alive.

"So what happens now?" asked Sara.

"I don't know," said Becker.

Everyone was in Lester's office, except Sara.

"So, is she refusing to return?" asked Lester.

"We don't even know if she can," said Connor. "That anomaly hasn't stabilized."

"She hasn't said much about her...intentions," said Becker.

"It's horrible she has to go back," said Jess. "It was horrible before, but now that she knows she's going to die, I think it's cruel to make her go back."

"Cruelty had nothing to do with," said Lester. "It's about preserving the timeline."

"Is it?" asked Matt. "Does she really have to go?"

Everyone looked in amazement at Matt.

"You of all people should know she does," said Lester.

"I think I get what Matt's getting at," said Connor. "He changed time, so did Emily for that matter. He's from the future, she's from the past. Why does Sara have to go back, they didn't."

"But there lives weren't directly involved with the ARC itself," said Becker. "Any decision she makes affects us, we might not be standing here, once she goes through."

"Maybe going through somehow caused this to happen," said Emily. "We have no way of knowing how or if whatever action she takes will affect time."

"Time is weird," said Connor. "Going through once alters it, going through again alters it, heck, even NOT going through alters it."

"So what do we do?" asked Abby. "How do we know which action is the right one?"

Matt said, "There isn't a right choice, Abby. I came back in time and we saved the world. Helen Cutter mucked with time repeatedly, erasing people and trying to redirect man's evolution. Emily doesn't seem to have altered much outside her own circle. Maybe Sara will have no effect, or maybe the effect will be as catastrophic as Helen Cutter's. We can't know."

Sara sat in the guest quarters. They were deciding what to do, should they send her back or not. Other people were deciding if she should die or live.

It made her angry. She wished she'd never seen the anomalies, or met the team. It had been nothing but disaster. Danny was alive, but searching through time for a brother wrenched from him as a boy. Another evil caused by the anomalies.

The future had been saved by Danny. Cutter had been killed. Helen tried to destroy all human life. Matt came from the future to save the world again. It was never ending.

She wanted away from the anomalies, and time lines. She just wanted to live. She had the right. It wasn't fair her life was taken.

Sara had a sudden, desperate surge of energy or panic or the natural need to survive. She was going to save her life.

The conference was still going on in Lester's office, when the alarms blew. Jess immediatley ran for the ADD.

"No anomaly. The menagerie's secure. It's an internal alarm, breach in security." Jess stopped talking, and looked up in alarm.

"What is it Jess,?" asked Lester.

"The alarm automatically set on the guest quarters of non-active ARC personnel has been triggered," she said. "Sara's left."

Becker cursed. "Has she left the building?"

"She's not wearing a black box so I can't track her, but no outside perimeters have been breeched. There are no reports of any lapse in security forces, so they all must be at their posts and alert."

"She's still here," said Abby.

"Find and detain her," said Lester.

"Small EMDs," said Matt.

Becker grabbed him. 'You are NOT shooting Sara."

"She'll be fine, Becker. I'm sorry, but we can't risk losing her."

"You're the one who proposed that maybe she hadn't altered time at all," said Becker.

"That's not what I said," said Matt. "We can't let her leave the ARC. We need to consider the situation more."

"She's getting more distance, wherever she is while you two talk," said Lester.

Matt said, "EMDs on low setting." Becker was not happy, but then Matt said to Jess. "Tell all security to use caution. She's not a threat, this is for her protection. " He looked again at Becker and sighed. "Tell them to stun her as a last resort."

Becker sighed and said softly, "Thank you."

Jess heard the alerts, the comm chatter, and the reports of Sara sightings in different secions of the ARC.

Sara had been cornered outside the carpark, and nearly run over in the confusion and chaos. It now seemed that she was headed toward medical. Sara had no idea what the layout of this new ARC was.

Jess was more convinced that in her desperation and as the chase progressed, she'd be hurt. So, Jess headed to medical, comm in ear, and still communicating.

"I'm going to try to head her off. If I can talk to her."

"She doesn't know you or me," said Matt.

"That's kind of the point," said Jess. "I have no reason to make her go or stay. I just want her safe. I think she'll believe me."

"Give it a try," said Becker. "Don't interfere with my men, though."

"I won't," she said, charging up the corridor to medical.

As she turned the corner, she saw Sara and a medic. The medic was tring to restrain her, and Sara was struggling. Jess could see the desperation in her eyes. Jess also noticed two of Becker's men charging up the opposite corridor toward Sara.

Sara saw them, and as Jess had feared, Sara began to panic. She was boxed in and frightened.

"Sara," she called. "Calm down. No one wants to hurt you."

The soldiers drew their EMDs, Sara frantically pushed at the medic, the medic stumbled back and Sara raced down toward Jess. The medic, and the soldiers a short distance behind him ran after her.

"Please, Sara, stop," she said as Sara ran at her.

Then all at once, the medic charged at Sara. Sara, the medic, Jess and a supply cart all collided, and the EMDs were fired.

The soldiers advanced the pile. Sara crawled free, and ran. The pile of the medic, Jess, and the cart stalled the soldiers for a few seconds.

Sara ran for freedom as she heard, "Miss Parker, all you alright? Miss Parker?"

Those words caused Sara to hault. She turned around, even as she saw the soldiers closing in.

The medic pushed the debris off Jess, but she lay still. As the soldiers took hold of Sara, she heard the medic cry out.

"She's bleeding and unconscious! I need some help here!"

End of 3rd chapter


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

After detaining her, the soldiers had brought Sara to Lester's office. She had not been tied or handcuffed. She sat on the comfortable couch. A soldier, armed with a small EMD had been stationed outside the door.

For the last half hour or so, Sara did not know how long, she had not been concerned for her own fate. She was concerned for Jess.

"How is she?" asked Sara as someone finally joined her. It was Becker.

Becker said nothing, just sat down next to Sara. She was alarmed by the silence.

"How is she?" she asked again. Silence. "I swear, Becker, I didn't mean for her to get hurt. I didn't want anyone to get hurt."

"She was trying to keep you from getting hurt as well," said Becker softly.

"Please! Is she alright?"

Becker looked at Sara. Then he smiled. Sara let out a huge sigh of relief.

"She wasn't hurt at all, only stunned by an EMD. A blood vial had broken and spilled on her," he said with a chuckle, as Sara leaned her head on his arm.

"Oh, thank God."

Becker chuckled again. "I waited for her to wake up to make sure. She's a little miffed that one shot from the smallest EMD knocked her out. It took two shots from a large EMD to do that to me," he said with a smirk.

"But she's fine?"

"Yes," he said, holding Sara's hand. "She is." Then he took a breath and said, "But for a moment I thought she wasn't. I thought she had been seriously hurt. I thought I'd lost her, like I lost you. I've never felt anything like that, when I thought Jess was gone. I can barely describe it."

"I'm so sorry."

"I know," he said. He sat for a moment, holding her hand, then he let her go. He looked at her, seriously.

"Sara, you can't leave. I don't want you to...go back, but we have to think this through. As much as I care about you, as much as I want you to live, there are consequences here that are bigger than you, me, even Jess."

"I know." Sara sat quietly, staring at her folded hands. "I panicked. I was selfish."

Becker chuckled. "It's not selfish to want to live."

"It is when it risks others," she said. "I thought I had killed Jess. Sitting here, I realized that she could be just the first death I caused. We don't know how I've affected things."

Becker put his arm around her. "None of this is your fault. You shouldn't have to choose between your life and anyone else's."

Sara sat for a moment. "That may be exactly the choice I'm facing," she said.

Sara and Becker walked down the stairs from Lester's office. Jess was at the ADD.

"You're supposed to be resting," said Becker.

"Stuff it," said Jess.

Sara slowly walked up to Jess. "I'm so sorry. I never meant..."

Before she could finish, Jess was out of her chair and hugging her. "I know. Don't worry about it. It was an accident, and I'm fine," she said, but then winced a litlle.

"Jess?" asked Sara.

"She's fine. EMD's leave a bit of a sting. She'll have a headache, some ear-ringing, and a kind of all over buzzed feeling, but she's fine."

Jess looked up at him and glared. "I hate you."

Becker smiled. "I know."

"I'm the one who caused you to be shot, Jess," said Sara.

"I know, and I forgive you, but he is just so darn smug. He got shot so he loves it when someone else goes through it."

"Misery loves company," said Becker, smirking.

"Oh, good," said Jess. "Let me find a big EMD and I'll make you miserable too."

Sara smiled, but still looked upset.

"When can Dr. Page go back through?" asked Lester.

Becker and Jess looked uneasily at Sara.

"I don't know, Lester," said Connor. "It's still unstable. Sara, was it unstable when you went through?"

"Of course not, Connor. I couldn't get through an unstable anomaly. Could I?"

"Don't know," he said. "But it might explain some things. Like, why hasn't time changed? You've been here nearly two days. Time should have reset itself the moment you walked through."

"I thought you said that was because the anomaly is still here. It hasn't closed and faded," said Becker.

"Yeah. That's what I thought, but even then, Becker, how long can you hold time in hiatus? Maybe time not changing, the anomaly being unstable, and it not fading are all related. Maybe it's no just the anomaly, but time itself."

"So my going back through may not fix everything?" said Sara.

"I hate to keep saying this, but I don't know," said Connor

"So what do we do?" asked Lester.

Connor grinned sheepishly, "I don't know."

Matt and Connor discussed it, and decided there were just too many variables in sending her through, and that for now, they should do nothing.

Jess squealed with delight. "You can stay with me, Abby and Connor. Plenty or room. Oh, we can go shopping for clothes, and..."

"Jess," said Becker. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Because they haven't given up the idea that I might have to go back, and they don't want me learning too much about the future outside the ARC," said Sara.

Jess looked horrified, but Sara took her hand. "I'm not sure I disagree with them Jess. My presence here does not only affect the past, you and I learned the hard way that it affects the present."

"It was an accident," said Jess.

"Yes," said Sara, "but I cannot allow anymore accidents." She turned to Lester. "May I remain in my assigned quarters?"

"Of course, Sara. We'll try to make you as comfortable as possible," said Lester.

Two days passed and the anomaly was no different. Sara was studying her old notes and case files that she had abandoned while at the museum. It seemed a waste of time to be studying mysteries of Egypt that may have been solved while she was 'dead,' but she couldn't do much else.

She wouldn't watch tv or even listen to music, or read the news, even though Matt and even Becker supposed it couldn't hurt. But Sara did not want to. They all contained hints of a future she was not meant to know.

Lester would probably have let her mingle more with the ARC staff, certainly hang out with Jess or Abby at their jobs, but again Sara did not want to. She felt like the ultimate outsider. She wasn't just out of time. She was dead. She simply should no longer exist.

"I'm worried about her," said Jess.

Becker sat in the armory cleaning a weapon. "I know. I am too."

"So, let's do something."

"What Jess? What can we possibly do to help her? She's stuck here. If she goes back she dies. She doesn't even know if she can go back. If she stays, Jess, Sara Page is officially and legally dead."

"Can't we just...make up a cover story? Say she was somewhere super secret for a couple years?"

Becker smiled. Good, positive, caring Jess. These last few days he'd been reminded of losing Sara and for a few terrifying minutes he feared he'd lost Jess. Sara's death nearly killed him. He now knew that losing Jess _would_ kill him.

"Maybe we could do something...small and insignificant," he said, raising Jess' eyebrow. He chuckled. "Well, I've seen the effect a small and insignificant piece of chocolate has on you."

Jess smiled brightly. "That's a wonderful idea, Becker, although there's nothing insignificant about chocolate." She plopped down beside him on the bench. "Any ideas?" she asked.

"She won't leave her room, not even for meals. How about if you and I surprise her tonight? Little picnic in her room?"suggested Becker.

"Ooh. I like it," said Jess. "I bet she will too, just a little dinner with friends. Great. I'll arrange it all," she said. "Do you know her favorite food?"

Becker thought. "Not really. She seemed to like Indian food."

"Perfect. You know, you can be so sweet and thoughtful."

Becker grinned. Jess wove her arm under his, and just let it lay there. He didn't protest. They sat that way for a while, until Jess finally got up.

"I guess I should get started," she said, leaving the bench.

"If you want to," he said, "but I liked having your company."

She smiled. "I liked having yours. I always do." They smiled at each other, until he finally turned away.

"So," she said, "About six? I'll meet you outside her quarters."

"Fine," he said. As she left, he called after her, "Thanks Jess for thinking about her."

Jess smiled.

End of 4th chapter

Author's note: I hope no one's disappointed that Jess wasn't hurt at all. It kind of felt like a cop-out, but I had reasons for doing it. First, I wanted Jess well quickly because she has a major role throughout the story. Second, I wanted Becker to feel fear of losing her, like he lost Sara. The fear was what was important, not actual injuries or death. Thanks.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note: I like this chapter. It's fluffy and a little silly, but I actually think it's my favorite. The dishes are real, according to the internet. I said this was going to be 5 chapters, I was mistaken. It will be at least 7.

Chapter Five

At six o'clock, Jess strolled in carrying a large picnic basket. Becker quickly took it from her. "Ways a ton, Jess."

"I wanted to make sure everyone had something they'd enjoy."

They knocked on the door, and Sara told them to come in. Jess strolled in smiling, and Becker carried in the basket.

"What's this?"

Jess said, "Oh, nothing just dinner with an old friend and a new one."

Becker smiled.

"That was very kind," said Sara. "I'm very fortunate in my friends," she said, hugging Jess and kissing Becker on the cheek.

Jess began digging in the basket, as Sara put her old files away. Becker helped Jess spread out a blanket and they all sat on the floor.

"I have chicken vindaloo, tandoori prawns, naan bread, vegetable samosa, onion pakora, and tamarind rice," said Jess, bringing out each dish as she said the name.

"Wow," said Sara. She turned to Becker, "She goes all out."

Becker smiled, taking the tandoori prawns. "Jess likes to be prepared."

"Yes I do," said Jess, pulling another container of tandoori prawns out of the basket. She whispered to Sara, loudly enough for Becker to hear, "Someone tends to hog anything with prawns."

"I do not," he said, slowly eating a prawn, with a teasing glance at Jess.

Jess laughed. "You are guilty as charged," she said. Becker laughed as she spoke.

Sara sat there watching the two of them with an amused look. "You do know that you are doing it again," she said.

Jess and Becker looked at her, confused for a second, and then they blushed in unison.

"We're just," said Jess.

"Friends," said Becker.

Jess nodded eagerly, and Becker sucked on a prawn, and Sara burst out laughing.

"I'm going to miss you, both of you," she said.

Jess looked at Becker in alarm.

"No, Sara. You aren't. You aren't going to think about anything depressing," he said. Then he smirked. "It would make Miss Parker cry, and I think you can geuss how I feel about her crying."

Sara laughed. "Ok. I apologize Jess, for nearly making you cry."

Jess smiled first at Becker, then at Sara. "I forgive you," she said. "Now, for dessert we have something..."

"Chocolate," said Becker, making Jess stop searching the basket and glare at him. He smiled.

"Well, yes," she said dramaticly, "but not only chocolate. In keeping with the Indian cuisine, I brought rasgulla, topped with pistachios."

Immediately, Sara dropped the naan bread she was breaking, and grabbed the rasgulla. "I love rasgulla, Jess!"

Jess beamed. "I also have a dessert the Captain loves."

Becker raised an eyebrow. "You don't know what I love for dessert."

Jess smiled, raised her eyes up, and puckered her lips. Then she let that face go, and smiled in delight. "Yesss I doooo," she sang.

"Noo, you doon't," he sang back.

Sara had a very difficult time holding in her laughter.

"Fine," said Jess. "You tell us what is your all-time favorite dessert, and then I shall produce it from my basket. That way you can't cheat and say what I have isn't your favorite."

"It's not in there, Jess."

"It is."

"It isn't."

"Yes, it is."

"No, no it isn't."

Yes, yes...

"Ok!" cried Sara. She was laughing so hard, her eyes watered. "Becker," she said, trying to control the giggles. "Would you please tell me your favorite?"

Becker glanced at Jess, then looked at Sara and said. "It's Strawberry Eton Mess."

"Don't you mean Strawberry Sandhurst Mess?" suggested Jess.

"Ha-ha," said Becker. "Alright, you. Come on. Where's the Eton Mess?"

Jess smiled hugely, reached in the basket and pulled out a small backpack cooler. She looked at Becker as she unzipped it, and removed a gel pack.

"To keep it cool," she said. "It's made with cream after all, isn't it, Becker?" she asked innocently.

Becker watched, his smug smirk fading and turning into an awed smile.

"It's also got strawberries," she said as she took out a small plastic container, "and meringue cookie bits, right?" She smiled as she popped the lid off, and calmly pushed it in front of Becker.

She sat, smirking as he stared increduously at the dish.

"How in the hell did you know?" he asked.

Jess handed a spoon to Sara, one to Becker, and kept one for herself. "I'm brilliant."

"You're sneaky and underhanded," he said, delving into the dessert. He closed his eyes, smiled, and his whole body sighed. "This is heaven."

Sara and Jess traded smiles.

"Hey," said Sara. "Don't hog the mess."

Becker moved his body to protect the dessert from them. "You've got rasgulla and she's got chocolate. This is mine."

"Oh come on, Becker," said Jess. "I've never had it."

"Fine," said Becker. He took a spoonful and offered it to Jess.

She smiled, leaned over towards him, and he fed it to her.

Sara rolled her eyes, picked up the rasgulla and moved to the bed. She ate the rasgulla and watched Jess slowly inch across the blanket, a little bit at a time, as Becker continued to deny her the Eton Mess. Sara shook her head and counted the number of times he fed her some.

The number was six.

By the time Sara had finished the rasgulla, Jess was pressed up to his side, and they were giggling and sharing it.

"You are sad," said Sara to the two of them.

They looked up at her, and to the surprise of each of them, they stayed put.

Sara came back to sit beside Jess.

"Thank you," she said. "I...was trying to cut myself off. I geuss I figured if I no longer existed, then I would pretend I didn't. I'm sorry."

Jess smiled and side-hugged her.

"I don't know how, Sara, but everything's going to be ok," said Becker.

"That's awfully positive of you Becker," said Sara.

"Yeah," said Becker, glancing at Jess. "I've had more positive thoughts recently despite myself."

Sara laughed.

They cleaned up the picnic, putting the dishes into the basket, and Jess and Becker said goodnight, each hugging Sara.

Jess walked out first, holding the basket. Becker started after her.

Sara decided to ask Jess to stop in when she arrived at the ARC the next morning. She walked out into the corridor, and saw only Becker.

"Where'd she go?"

"Where'd who go?" asked Becker.

"Funny, Becker. Where is Jess?"

Becker looked perplexed. "Who are you talking about Sara?"

"You're hilarious. Jess, the pretty little brunette who just brought us an Indian picnic."

Becker looked alarmed, and walked closer to Sara. "What are you talking about Sara? You and I just ate a pizza in your temporary quarters. And I don't know any Jess."

Sara nearly had a heart attack. He was serious. She ran back to her room, and sure enough, there was a mostly eaten pizza lying on the table.

"You've never heard of Jess Parker?" asked Sara.

"No," said Becker. "Who is she?"

End of 5th chapter

Author's Note: There are two more chapters. The next ones are the ones that drove me crazy. I'm still not sure that the ideas for solving this thing make sense and aren't stupid. Thoughts and comments are welcome.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: So far, you've been kind and not called this the worst story ever. Seriously, I had reservations with this story. These next to chapters are the challenge—fixing the situation I put them all in! Please, let me know what you think. Thanks.

**MAJOR, MAJOR SPOILERS—like, pretty much the whole plot to season 5, including how it ended. If you have not seen series 5 and don't want it all blown—DO NOT READ, Thank you.

Chapter Six

Sara ran to the control room and froze. It was all different! It was the old control room, mostly. Lester's office was from the new ARC, elevated and on a split-floor. The ADD was her ADD. Becker's uniform had changed too. It was the old uniform with white patches under the arms. In the corridor, she had not noticed any difference in it .

"Time is changing," she said. "Call Lester, Abby, Connor. Now!"

Lester, Abby and Connor ran in.

"What's going on?" asked Connor. "Has the anomaly changed?"

The anomaly, thought Sara. She looked for it, and there it was, inside the little lab she had been in when this all started.

"Sara's going on about someone named...Jess," said Becker.

"Who?" asked Abby.

Sara looked pained. Then, to her surprise, Matt and Emily walked down the stairs.

"You two are still here."

They looked at each other, and the others in confusion.

Sara walked to Connor. "Listen. You had time change before, with Cutter and Claudia, right?"

Connor nodded.

"It's happening again. First I was supposed to be dead.."

"We know that," said Becker.

"We're trying to figure out what to do," said Matt.

"You all remember that?" asked Sara. Everyone nodded. "So only Jess is gone. Connor, if time is changing, and it has something to do with me and my survival, why would only one person be gone?"

Connor looked around for help. "Well, uh, I dunno. Maybe something about this person..."

"Jess," said Sara.

"Right," said Connor. "Maybe her being here, at the ARC, was directly related somehow to your death. Like, she replaced you or something."

"Becker did say that the ARC was re-structured after my death. I know she was hired to be field coordinator."

"We don't have a field coordinator," said Lester.

"But after Sara's death, maybe we got one," said Connor.

"Yes. I didn't die," said Sara. "So maybe the ARC wasn't rebuilt. But why does it look half new and half old? Why are Matt and Emily still here? They came after my death too."

"Perhaps we were not affected directly by consequences resulting from your death."

"And Jess was, or at least her position here," said Sara.

"Or" said Connnor, "Time is just now trying to alter. Maybe the instabiltiy of the anomaly is affecting the way time is altered."

"Things are going screwy in different ways," suggested Abby.

"Matt," said Sara, "What do you think?"

Emily looked in confusion at Sara, "Who are you referring to, Sara?"

Sara was scared. Now Matt was gone.

"Someone else we don't remember?" asked Connor. "I hate time rewriting my head!"

"So, this Matt was here and was one of us," said Becker, "And now we have no memory of ever knowing him or the girl."

Sara looked sadly at Becker. "Her name was Jess, Becker. She was special to you..." she stopped speaking and merely looked sadly at him.

"Why do I remember Jess?" she asked suddenly, "or Matt? Why, it seems, am I not affected?"

"You went through the anomaly?" asked Connor. "I don't know, this anomaly is just weird," He looked at it, shaking and stuttering. "Maybe it is because it's weird. Sara, what was it like when you walked through?"

"Like a normal anomaly," she said, noticing the irony of those two words together.

"It didn't shake or get smaller, or bigger, or anything?"

"No, Connor. I can't actually remember walking into it, though. I mean, I don't remember choosing to walk through."

"Could you have been knocked through?" asked Becker.

"I don't remember being knocked through."

"What do you remember?" asked Connor.

Sara sighed. "I told you, I was working on the artifact, and I looked up and there was the anomaly. No," she said, remembering. "There was something else. A noise, like a, I don't know, like a tiny hum? I barely registered it. Then there was a quick flash like a torch coming on suddenly," she said.

"They weren't scary, just kind of odd. I guess that's why I forgot them. I mean, there was an anomaly right beside me!"

Abby and Connor started whispering. "We know the arifact had a small anomaly in it, as well as a map of the anomalies," said Connor finally.

"It did?" asked Sara.

Connor nodded. "Maybe somehow, it activated the anomaly."

"It needed a computer, Conn," said Abby. "Helen couldn't activate it without a computer from the future's ARC."

"I know," said Connor. "Look, we never got to properly examine it once we realized it had those kind of capabilities. Who knows what else it could do. "

"Should you be telling her all this?" asked Lester, nodding to Sara. "I thought the idea was to preserve time?"

"Time IS messed up," said Sara, "Now, as we speak, Lester, it's changing before my eyes!"

Just then the anomaly flickered and kind of twitched. "Whoa," said Connor. Then it shone bright, and pulsated.

"What is happening?" asked Emily.

"I..don't know," said Connor.

"Is it stable?" asked Lester.

"I don't know," said Connor.

As they watched, it grew, causing everyone to take a few steps back. It glowed brightly for a while, and then shrunk back down to the pulsating, unstable, smaller mass it had been.

"Weird," said Connor.

"Very," said Becker.

"I have a monitor and energy reading set up," said Connor. "Yeah, the readings are eratic. For the last half hour or so, it's been emitting more energy, like it just did, getting bigger. Then the readings get low again.

"The last half hour," said Sara. "When Jess and Matt disappeared. Could the anomaly changing have caused the disappearances?"

"I don't think so," said Connor. "It just changed but everyont is still here."

"Who is that?" asked Sara.

Everone turned around to see Philip Burton behind Emily.

"Philip?" asked Lester. "You remember Philip, Sara. He is the new director of the ARC. I introduced you when you...strolled through to our time."

"No, you didn't," said Sara. She'd heard about Philip. He'd caused the destruction of the world. Matt came from the future to stop him, and he and the team had succeeded. Philip Burton was dead. Like her.

Sara wracked her brain. Ok, she didn't die. The ARC was not shut down. Jess was not hired. Why would that affect Matt? Why was Burton here? Perhaps the time was off. Perhaps in this timeline Philip had merely not destroyed the world yet, or attempted to.

Sara didn't have the answers. She knew Jess and Matt were supposed to be in the ARC and that Burton and she were supposed to be dead. She also knew Burton was dangerous to every human being alive.

"What is going on?" asked Philip. "Is the anomaly stable? Can we send Dr. Page back through yet"

"Still working on it, Philip," said Connor.

Sara was desperate. Time was going wrong. It had something to do with her. Maybe if the artifact had triggered the anomaly it had somehow tied the anomaly and her together. Maybe the anomaly was open because she had not gone back through. Maybe somehow she could close the anomaly with the artifact.

All of it was guessing, and grasping at straws. She had to do something. Emily was now gone. She knew that f she asked, the others would respond with, 'who.' Perhaps it wouldn't stop here. Perhaps they would all vanish.

She stared at the anomaly and waited. She was frightened. She'd never considered herself brave. Maybe she wasn't, even now. She was just desperate, perhaps. She didn't want to die, but she didn't think she was worth the lives of a planet full of people. Or of just a few: Emily, Matt, and Jess.

Finally, the anomaly glowed and grew. It still shook and pulsated. This could be a bad idea, but she didn't know what else to do.

She took a breath, and ran.-toward the anomaly.

"Sara!" screamed Becker.

End of 6th chapter

The conclusion is next.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: OK, big finish, I hope. I liked some of this. Again, I'm not sure it makes sense, and there were so many things to tie up that I may have missed something. Can't wait for the opinions.

I hope it's Ok. I'm also not feeling so hot. It's either allergies or a cold. I can't sleep, so I'm updating.

Chapter Seven

Sara was inside the anomaly and through. She stood in the lab off to the side of the old, main control room. On the table next to her sat the artifact. It was making a small, soft hum, and a tiny place on it did glow lightly.

The anomaly flashed and pulsated, abnormally. Sara had no idea if this would close it or bring the end of everything, but she reached out and lightly touched where the barely noticeable glow was.

There was a sudden burst of force, and Sara was knocked to the floor, banging her head on the table leg.

The anomaly closed, as the artifact stopped humming and the tiny glow stopped.

"Hey, pretty lady," said Danny Quinn.

Sara lay on a cot in the medical bay.

"What happened?"

"You tripped over your own feet, apparently," said Becker a smirk, standing beside Danny's chair.

"We found you on the floor of the lab," said Danny. "What happened?"

"I don't know."

"What do you remember?" asked Becker.

"I..We got back with the dracorex, you were being a pain as usual," said Sara to Becker. "I went to work on the artifact."

"Then what?" asked Danny.

"Then I woke up here."

"Like I said, tripped over her own feet," said Becker.

"Well, the docs say you have a mild concussion," said Danny. "Nothing big. We just need to watch you. You'll be fine."

"What could have happened?" asked Sara. "How'd I get hit?"

"We don't know," said Danny. "The CCTV didn't pick up anything. You did seem to vanish briefly, but Connor thinks you fell down, and there was a quick electrical surge from somewhere that lasted like a second. We simply didn't see you fall or trip because of the freak surge."

"Really?" asked Sara.

"Has to be it," said Danny. "Can't find anything else wrong. Just you."

Becker smiled. "Like I said, over her own feet."

Several years later, or in a blink of anomaly time...

Everyone stood in the control room staring at the place the anomaly had been.

"I can't believe she did it," said Becker.

"I can," said Lester. "She was an intelligent, brave woman who just saved the world."

"What happened to us?" asked Emily. "I remember standing here, you had disappeared Matt, and then suddenly here we are all without Sara."

"Time was messing up," said Connor simply. "You guys were affected, but then Sara went through, and I guess it straightened out."

"I remember the accident. I thought she slipped," said Becker. "It was the anomaly all along."

"That's why we didn't remember," said Abby. "There had been an anomaly, we just didn't know."

"Well, let's get back to a nice, normal day saving the world, shall we?" asked Lester.

"Wait!" cried Becker. "Where's Jess?" he asked in a panic.

"Behind you, Mate," said Matt with a smile.

Slowly, Becker turned, afraid of what he wouldn't find, or who.

"I'm right here," said Jess.

Becker grabbed her and held on to her for dear life. "I forgot you," he said, tearing up. "I'm so sorry."

"Technically, we'd never met, so you can't forget someone you never knew," she said with a smile.

"Jess," he whispered, holding her tight.

Jess was quite content to let him hold her. Finally he let her go. She smiled, but became sad.

"It isn't fair," said Jess. "Sara...she should have lived."

"You remember her?" asked Becker.

"Yeah," she said with a smile. "I at least got to meet her. You were right when you said I'd like her. I did."

Becker smiled after her, his eyes still wet with tears.

"Will you be ok?" asked Jess.

Becker smiled sadly. "Yeah. You're right, it isn't fair. Sara should have had a long, happy life. I'm always going to regret her death, and feel guilty about it. But yeah, I'll be ok. I have you to help me, right?"

"Right," said Jess.

"Jess, after work, would you like to have dinner?"

Jess smiled. "Yes, I would."

Becker stared for a while, then he reached out his hand, which she took. Gently he pulled her to him, and held her. He then bent his head, and raised hers gently to him.

"They're watching," she said softly.

"Good. After the last few days I want witnesses that this is real."

She smiled, as he lent down and gently kissed her. It was soft and sweet, then it got more passionate and heated. Becker threw both arms around her as she pressed up against him. Her arms went up around his neck. He pulled her up gently and the kiss became soft again. They kissed despite coughs from behind them. They kissed though Jess' feet were feeling tingly. They kissed as Becker lost feeling in his arms from holding her so long. Finally they kissed despite the comments from the witnesses.

"Ahem." (Lester)

"Hey, guys," said Connor, "um, it's been a while now."

"Please you must take a breath," pleaded Emily.

"Dang it," said Abby in awe.

"Is anyone recording this?" asked Matt.

"Captain Becker! Miss Parker! Come up for air this instant!" cried Lester.

Finally, they gently released each other's lips, but Becker kept her in his arms and off the ground for a while. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed contently.

"That was worth waiting for," she said at last.

Becker slowly lowered her, and said. "It was, but I'm sorry I took so long."

"I'm sorry it took the world almost ending," said Abby.

"I'm sorry I just spent 15 minutes watching my employees make out," said Lester.

"I'm sorry Sara isn't here to see us," said Jess.

"So am I," said Becker.

They hugged one last time, and reluctantlywent back to work, hoping it would be a while before anything or anyone else took one step through the anomaly.

The End


End file.
